• Baltimore City Council Approves Bill Requiring Contractors to Hire Residents
• Source: The Baltimore Sun   |   Baltimore, Md.   |   May 14, 2013
• In a unanimous vote, the City Council gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would require businesses getting large city contracts or financial support to hire 51 percent of new workers from Baltimore.

• California Creates Cybersecurity Task Force
• BY: Government Technology   |   California   |   May 13, 2013
• California government officials and private-sector leaders are collaborating on a comprehensive cybersecurity plan for the state -- the California Cybersecurity Task Force. It will be the first state-led collaboration of its kind.

• Cities Fight States Over Mandatory Sick Leave Policies
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• Mandatory sick leave is being championed by several localities across the nation. At the same time the progressive public health measure is sparking fierce opposition in several state legislatures.

• GOP-Controlled Wisconsin Legislature Targets Milwaukee
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   May 13, 2013
• Recent moves by the republican-controlled legislature that could hurt the city's finances has raised speculation that it being targeted as part of a political vendetta.
• 6 Comments

• Which States Saw Voter Turnout Jump, Decline Most Last Year?
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   May 13, 2013
• Thirty-eight states saw voter turnout drop last year, driven in large part by young adults and non-Hispanic whites heading to the polls at lower rates.
• 7 Comments

• Counties Worried About Potential Costs of Immigration Reform
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• Local and state officials believe the immigration overhaul bill will encourage those in the country illegally to come out of the shadows and turn to local services during the proposed 13-year-long pathway to citizenship.

• Report: Detroit Has Negative Cash Flow of $162M
• Source: AP/Yahoo   |   Detroit, Mich.   |   May 13, 2013
• Detroit is broke and faces a bleak future given the precarious financial path it's on, according to a new report out by the city's state-appointed emergency manager.

• San Diego Mayor Building Economic Bridges to Tijuana
• Source: The New York Times   |   San Diego, Calif.   |   May 13, 2013
• Satellite city offices are not uncommon for large cities, but San Diego Mayor Bob Filner’s newest outpost is in another country. By opening San Diego’s Tijuana office this year, the mayor hopes to promote cross-border relations and foster economic partnerships.

• Amtrak Unveils Locomotives to Replace Aging Fleet
• Source: AP/The Philadelphia Inquirer   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• When Amtrak unveils the first of 70 new locomotives Monday at a plant in California, it will mark what the national passenger railroad service hopes will be a new era of better reliability, streamlined maintenance and better energy efficiency.

• Tracking the Carbon Footprints of Cities
• Source: AP/Yahoo   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• Scientists have found that urban hubs with over 10 million people are increasingly responsible for human-caused global warming, prompting closer study of cities across the country and around the globe.

• Report: IRS Targeted Groups Critical of Government
• Source: The Washington Post   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• At various points over the past two years, Internal Revenue Service officials targeted nonprofit groups that criticized the government and sought to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution, according to documents in an audit conducted by the agency’s inspector general.

• New Bill Proposed to Boost Penalities on IRS Lawbreakers
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• In the wake of an admission by an IRS official that conservative groups had been targeted for additional scrutiny, Rep. Michael Turner will introduce legislation Monday that would increase the penalty for singling out ideological organizations —including the possibility of jail time.

• Improvements in Housing Market Bring Greater Workforce Mobility
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• New trends show the American workforce may be regaining the mobility it enjoyed before the recession as home prices in major cities rise.

• Minnesota Poised to Become 12th Same-Sex Marriage State
• Source: Reuters/Yahoo   |   Minnesota   |   May 13, 2013
• The Minnesota Senate is expected to give final approval on Monday to a bill that would make the state the 12th in the United States to allow same-sex couples to marry and only the second in the Midwest.

• Sen. Rand Paul Lays Groundwork for Possible Presidential Run
• Source: The Los Angeles Times   |   Nation   |   May 13, 2013
• The Kentucky Republican tells a crowd in Iowa he wants to be considered on his merits and escape the shadow of father Ron Paul as he explores the possibility of a Presidential run.